79th Group Army
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}
{{Short description|Chinese military unit}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 79th Group Army
| native_name = 第七十九集团军
| image = File:People's Liberation Army Ground Force sleeve badge.svg
| caption =
| nickname =
| motto =
| themesong =
| colors =
| march =
| ceremonial_chief =
| branch = {{Army|China}}
| type = Group army
| status =
| dates = 1948–present
| country = {{PRC}}
| allegiance = {{CPC flag}}
| command_structure = Northern Theater Command Ground Force
| size =
| specialization =
| challenge =
| response =
| garrison = Liaoyang, Liaoning
| battles = *Long March{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- World War II{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
- Chinese Civil War
- Liaoshen Campaign
- Pingjin campaign
- Korean War
| current_commander =
| commander2 =
| commander2_label = Political Commissar
| notable_commanders = *Xu Haidong{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
| anniversaries =
| identification_symbol = 150px
| identification_symbol_label = NATO Map Symbol
| identification_symbol_2 =
| identification_symbol_2_label =
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The 79th Group Army ({{Zh|s=第七十九集团军|p=Dì Qīshíjiǔ Jítuánjūn}}), Unit 31671, formerly the 39th Group Army (第三十九集团军), is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF). The 79th Group Army is one of thirteen total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces in the People's Republic of China, and one of three assigned to the nation's Northern Theater Command.{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Edmund J. |date=4 February 2019 |title=Coming to a (New) Theater Near You: Command, Control, and Forces |work=National Defense University Press |url=https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/Books/Chairman-Xi/Chairman-Xi_Chapter-6.pdf?ver=2019-02-08-112005-803}}
History
The 79th Group Army can trace it's lineage to the Chinese Red Army's 15th Legion.{{Cite web |date=2018-09-30 |title=精锐“东北虎”第79集团军 |url=https://www.takungpao.com/news/232108/2018/0930/182930.html |website=Ta Kung Pao}} It was involved in the Chinese Civil War, most notably the Liaoshen campaign and Pingjin campaign.
In 1949 the 15th Legion was renamed to the 39th Army Corps(Chinese: 陆军第39军)
The army corps was a military formation of the People's Volunteer Army (People's Volunteer Army (PVA) during the Korean War. It comprised the 115th, 116th, and 117th Divisions.{{cite book| chapter-url = https://history.army.mil/books/korea/20-2-1/sn39.htm | chapter = XXXIX The Big Question| last = Appleman| first = Roy E| title = South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu| page = 768| publisher = United States Army Center of Military History|id = CMH Pub 20-2-1}}
The 39th Army Corps was deployed to the Korean War in 1950.
After the ceasefire, it was placed under the command of the Shenyang Military Region and was stationed in the Liaodong Peninsula.
In 1985, it was re-organized into the 39th Group Army.
In 2016, it was re-assigned to the Northern Theater Command Ground Force, and in April 2017 it was renamed to the 79th Group Army
Organization
In 2023, the 79th Group Army was composed of:
- 4 armored brigades{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 mechanized infantry brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 infantry brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 79th Special Forces Brigade "Amur Tigers" (东北虎){{Cite web |title=精锐"东北虎"第79集团军 _大公网 |url=https://www.takungpao.com/news/232108/2018/0930/182930.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314002920/http://www.takungpao.com/news/232108/2018/0930/182930.html |archive-date=2023-03-14 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=www.takungpao.com}}{{Cite web |date=2019-09-02 |title=21支特战劲旅 磨砺反恐尖刀 |url=https://www.takungpao.com/news/232108/2019/0902/343977.html |website=Ta Kung Pao}}
- 1 artillery brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 engineering brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 Chemical defense brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 helicopter brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 air defense brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
- 1 Service support brigade{{sfn|The International Institute for Strategic Studies|2024|p=262}}
Awards
In the 2013 "Blade Sharpening" (砺刃—2013) military competition, which was the first ever PLASOF inter-unit competetion, the 79th Special Forces Brigade won first place.
Leadership
= Historical Commanders =
- Xu Qiling (? - December 2018){{Cite web |date=2019-01-03 |title=接棒秦卫江 徐起零出任东部战区陆军司令 |url=https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2019-01-03/doc-ihqfskcn3708593.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103121147/https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2019-01-03/doc-ihqfskcn3708593.shtml |archive-date=2019-01-03 |website=Sina |publisher=Capital News (Owned by Beijing Daily)}}
= Historical Political Commissars =
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
{{Refbegin}}
- {{Cite book |author=The International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The Military Balance 2024 |year=2024 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-032-78004-7}}
{{Refend}}
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{{Corps and Armies of the People's Liberation Army}}
{{Structure of People's Liberation Army Ground Force since 2017}}
Category:Field armies of the People's Volunteer Army
Category:Field armies of the People's Liberation Army